The Frame of History

By Evan Nicole Brown

Apr 19, 2021

History is filled with all sorts of perspectives; it is the job of the writer as storyteller to find the story within the facts, and make choices about which voices to elevate on record. This discussion will explore how to engage with the past as a journalist, and cover topics or events that we may not necessarily find in history books, especially those that might not be told accurately. Reporting is a tool that allows journalists to gather data and human experiences in order to connect dots — whether that be between different people, places, or moments. We must find the best approach to unpack an issue: first, choose a topic to write on; then, figure out who the article is written for; and finally, customize based on what each story demands. This means selecting a particular form (essay, reported article, interview) and making sure that the editing process serves the larger goal. Design history, in particular, is made up of many parallel stories, so we will discuss how to add additional details or assign a new framework to historical narratives in order to make connections for a new and modern audience

Evan Nicole Brown (she/her) is a writer, reporter, and editor from Los Angeles, currently based in Brooklyn. She graduated from Bard College with a joint degree in Literature and Written Arts before working in advertising as a copywriter and book publishing as a junior literary agent. Since then, she has written for various outlets including Architectural Digest, Atlas Obscura, Bustle, Chicago Magazine, Fast Company, Gothamist, Okay Player, Paper Magazine, and The Creative Independent. Currently, Evan is a reporting fellow at The New York Times on the politics desk covering the 2020 presidential election.